You know the feeling of annoyance when buying a coffee for a dollar and being prompted by the payment processing machine to give another dollar as a tip? Well, it’s a lot more annoying when you pick up some products at a store, head to the self-checkout, and are still urged to give a tip.
Such prompts are becoming increasingly popular at retailers – including many frum-owned stores.
According to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal, numerous companies – including airports, bakeries, coffee shops and sports stadiums – have introduced self-serve tipping options, despite patrons having zero interactions with an employee.
The tip is of course optional, but as anyone who has encountered them can attest, they leave you feeling guilty if you choose not to tip.
If businesses are going to ask for tips, perhaps there should be a fine print section explaining where the tips will go. Will the tips go to employees or are they being pocketed by the boss?
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
20 Responses
Just say “No”.
If it’s self serve it should go to me, the server (sort of like cash back)
Nah, it’s not a chutzpah, just annoying.
Just don’t tip. Ridiculous how ppl are complaining about “feeling guilty” I always proudly put 0% tip in their face and never felt guilty for a second
Feeling guilty? The machine is not a Jewish mother. It is very easy to decline a tip to a machine, much easier than to a minimum wage employee handing you a coffee at the drive through window.
I don’t like the whole tip mentality. When I bid a job I price it out and expect to deliver a satisfactory job to the very best of my ability. I don’t think people have to tip me or my workers who agreed to work for the price
They are being paid. What’s with a tip for cabs for waiters for delivering for the worker for the Uber driver ,The price charged is what I agree too. Your waiters should be paid. Your delivery people should be paid etc etc. By You, the seller. And I don’t like to say no. It’s uncomfortable. And I hate the comments where my concept is derided. As being cheap -it is the seller who is being deceptive and cheap. So that s my two cents.
They are not only trying to get people with a guilt trip. It is more to get the people who just don’t think about it. Most people will not take the few seconds to think about where the tip is going and just hit the biggest or first option available. There are other shtick that business play such as including “gratuity” on your bill without telling the customer that they already tipped the help. Most people will not look carefully at the bill and give a regular cash tip anyway.
But who knows what the underpaid AI in charge does in their spare time? And maybe they have captured illegal aliens from a lilliputian planet and have enslaved them inside the machine, and your tip is their only parnassah?
Okay, probably the issue is the merchant is using a card machine designed for a store with human staff who would need to be tipped – but when he “reduced headcount” (fired the humans), he forgot to upgrade the machine. But that is too dull an explanation.
Nah. Just say no. May I ask why to publish this, YWN?
Cheap jewelry. Why can’t you ask for help(money)?
This is just the ‘tip’ of the iceberg when it comes to companies looking for new ways to make more money off the consumer.
I ‘tip’ my hat off to those that brought this to the attention of the consumers out there because on any ‘tip’ical (typical) day there’s always another such story out there. I don’t usually comment but this is a real ‘tip’ping point for me.
May this be the worst thing for you to feel guilty about.
This is not chutzpah, it’s called american greed
Ordered something from Dick’s Sporting Goods last week. Besides delivery charge and tax, they had a $5 tip included in the total which I declined only after I noticed it by chance.
I agree with everyone. Everyone has a good point.
Tipping culture is ridiculous. It’s mostly a smokescreen that helps employers avoid paying employees fairly (look up how much minimum wage is for tipped employees like waiters). It’s getting out of hand. People used to say “If you can’t tip, then don’t go out,” but I am now being prompted to tip everywhere! I refuse. Employers underpaying employees is not my problem. I don’t have to break the bank for them.
why not share $5 with people who provide service to you? Developers of self-checkout machines certainly deserve a tip!
Don’t insult the machine. I also have feelings.
I enjoy the satisfying feeling of tipping 0$ and watching the clerk attempt to conceal their dismay.
Machines are people too. Don’t be a tight wad!